When Monbeg Zebedee came to Allison Springer’s barn nearly three years ago, she wasn’t sure where he might end up or how far his talent would take him. The Irish Sport Horse gelding (Dignifed van’t Zorgvliet x Bolacreane Dolly) had been purchased out of the Monart sale in Ireland by British five-star rider Kitty King as a sales prospect when he was 3, and King had started him but never competed him.
When asked if he could go back in time and give the younger version of himself one piece of advice, eight-time World Equestrian Brands USEA Rider of the Year Boyd Martin says he wouldn’t change a thing.
Spring and summer are on the horizon. As rider’s calendars begin to fill with horse trial, clinic, and schooling outing dates, organizing teams are busy with preparations to ensure smooth operations and a great experience for participants, horses, and spectators.
Last year was a big one for USEA Young Event Horse program graduate Arden Augustus. He made a successful move-up to Modified with Sharon White in the tack, followed by a smooth transition to Preliminary, then went on to win two CCI2*-S divisions and ended the year with a CCI2*-L win.
For more than 50 years, Jane Cory has been an unsung hero of the sport. The Area II trainer, judge, and event organizer welcomed generations of riders of all levels to her family’s beloved Pleasant Hollow Farm in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, ensured the success of multitudes of shows and horse trials each year, and shared her love of horsemanship to all her students. Because of her deep dedication to her role, and contribution to the sport of eventing, she was recently honored by the USEA with the Andrew H. Popiel Trophy, given annually to organizers for their tireless commitment.
Colorado-based upper-level eventer Dani Sussman has been sourcing horses from Argentina since 2019 thanks to the help of her show jumping coach, Mariano Bedoya. When Bedoya called her up about a then 8-year-old Hanoverian stallion who was showing on the show jumping circuit, Sussman hopped on a plane to check him out for herself.
Adult amateur Arden Wildasin’s 39-page long competition report with the USEA began in 2005 when she completed her first Beginner Novice with Mr. Fox. If you would have asked her then if she ever imagined she would be prepping for what she hopes to be her first five-star outing 20 years later, she wouldn’t have believed it was real.
United States Eventing Association (USEA) members from all over the country gathered on Friday afternoon for the 2024 USEA Annual Meeting & Convention Year End Awards Ceremony. The afternoon’s ceremony was led by Master of Ceremonies Jim Wolf and recognized riders, horses, and game-changers in the sport of eventing with multiple awards and grants.
The Godshall Accessibility Report, created by the United States Eventing Association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, aims to honor Christopher Godshall’s legacy by addressing accessibility challenges within the sport of eventing. Inspired by Godshall’s own struggles with mobility due to Myasthenia Gravis, the report underscores the importance of creating inclusive environments for riders, spectators, volunteers, and others involved in the sport.
American rider Jenny Caras is holding her own on British soil. On July 24, she and Sommersby, who she owns with Jerry Hollis, won the Hambro Sport Horses CCI3*-S at Burgham Horse Trials in Northumberland, England. The pair finished on their dressage score of 28.2, their best finishing score yet. It hasn’t always been easy for this pair, but Caras feels as though Sommersby really stepped up to the plate.
The Event at Rebecca Farm is set to begin in less than one month in Kalispell, Montana. Competitors from around the country are preparing to travel to the event, and thanks to the generosity of the Broussard Family Charitable Foundation and administration of the USEA Foundation, that trip will be made more accessible through the Rebecca Farm Travel Grants.